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The differences between lead cooks and cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lead cook and a cook. Additionally, a lead cook has an average salary of $35,964, which is higher than the $31,803 average annual salary of a cook.
The top three skills for a lead cook include customer service, food handling and culinary. The most important skills for a cook are food handling, food service, and cleanliness.
| Lead Cook | Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $35,964 | $31,803 |
| Hourly rate | $17.29 | $15.29 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 160,223 | 184,818 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 45% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A lead cook, or lead line cook, is an individual restaurant employee who is in charge of supervising the chain of food preparation done by line cooks. Lead cooks work directly under head cooks or chefs who provide instructions in preparing meals. They are well-versed in the restaurant's food health and safety, such as regular hand washing, utensil sanitizing, and proper garbage disposal. To be a successful lead cook, they must obtain knowledge of various cooking techniques and be passionate about food.
Cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. They must be knowledgeable about the different recipes and ingredients needed. They are also responsible for managing the inventory and ensuring that the pantry is well-stocked. They prepare meals from scratch, cutting ingredients, measuring them, and following recipes. Cooks should be creative, especially when ingredients are lacking, and they must find alternatives that will not compromise the food taste. They should be precise, imaginative, and patient. Cooks should also have good time management skills and decision-making skills.
Lead cooks and cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Cook | Cook | |
| Average salary | $35,964 | $31,803 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $46,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Freeport-McMoRan | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a lead cook and a cook in terms of educational background:
| Lead Cook | Cook | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 45% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between lead cooks' and cooks' demographics:
| Lead Cook | Cook | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 9.4% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |